The project ran in parallel with an industry wide pest management extension development program arming growers with the knowledge necessary to implement whole of crop integrated management strategies and an extensive pest management research investigation into new pest management technology.
The extension program was focused on better equipping growers and stakeholders with the skills and abilities needed to take a whole of crop integrated pest management approach in sweetpotato farming systems. Improved pest management approaches, both between sweetpotato cropping periods and within the crop development period, were taught and demonstrated on farm.
New crop protection technologies were identified that target different stages of pest lifecycles using new application methodologies that are less disruptive to potential beneficial organisms in the sweetpotato farming system. Application technologies have been developed to improve the delivery of crop protectants into the sweetpotato root zone providing improved crop protection times and reducing dependence on large concentrations of soil incorporated insecticides needing to be applied prior to planting.
To view the video “Whole of Crop Integrated Pest Management Strategies” click on the following link https://vimeo.com/92479777
To download and view the final project report in PDF format click the link below.